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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27950030">Désolé</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/robin_X3/pseuds/robin_X3'>robin_X3</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Great Pretender (Anime)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Light Angst, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 23:48:10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>938</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27950030</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/robin_X3/pseuds/robin_X3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p></p><blockquote>
  <p> </p>
  <p>    <em>The phrase “I’m sorry” is used for telling someone that you are ashamed or unhappy about something that you have done that has hurt or upset them. Makoto hated it.</em><br/></p>
</blockquote><br/>In a world where your soulmate's first words appeared on your skin like a tattoo, Makoto Edamura hated his.
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Edamura Makoto/Laurent Thierry</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>129</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Désolé</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em> The dictionary defines the word ‘Sorry’ as an adjective that describes the feeling of sadness, disappointment, or regret. </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Edamura kun, what does it say?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Uh, I don’t know, my English isn’t very good,” Makoto lied, pulling his shirt to hide the neat black tattoo in his wrist under his too-long sleeves. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“English? Sorry, I’m not good with that either.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p><em> The phrase “I’m sorry” is used for telling someone that you are ashamed or unhappy about something that you have done that has hurt or upset them. Makoto </em> <b> <em>hated </em> </b> <em> it. </em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Even though he had a crippling phobia of high,open places, little Makoto liked the vantage point of the top tower of the 2-storey jungle gym in their kindergarten. The little tower was perfect- surrounded on all sides except one, which was a small round window that gave way to a twisting slide that went all the way down to the ground. From here, he could see everything and everyone- the parents come to take their kids, the teachers struggling to keep the children within the boundaries of the playground, all while he waited for his mother. Although Makoto wanted to stay here a bit longer, he slid down the slide before his friend could ask him any more uncomfortable questions, especially those concerning soulmates.</p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p>The concept of soulmates was a new one, and although it had been romanticised in popular and unpopular media since much, much before- with concepts of red strings of fate, timers until you met your soulmate, and seeing nothing but your soulmate’s eye colour until the day you met them- their occurrence had only started to become more common around Makoto’s generation. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Makoto had always thought that having a soulmate would be very cool. With the gods choosing someone to be a perfect companion to your soul- what could go wrong? </p>
<p> </p>
<p>So ever since Makoto was old enough to understand the concept of soulmates, he’d been excited to get his own. He couldn’t wait to be 10- the age at which children started to display the first sign of the existence of their soulmate. And it would be like a treasure hunt since then, or a mission- to find his soulmate. Everyday, Makoto would wake up and check himself for a sign of his soulmate. And everyday he didn’t find a sign, Makoto would find his mind wandering: What would his soulmate look like? What would they sound like? Would they be exactly like him- and hit it off very well from the get go? Or would they be complete opposites, and complement each other perfectly?</p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p>However, at the tender age of 10, Makoto had learnt that real life wasn’t all sunshines and rainbows, not at all as poetic and beautiful as they showed on tv.</p>
<p>Your soulmate wouldn't be connected via a red string of fate to you. You wouldn’t share thoughts, nor pain with your soulmate. There would neither be a mysterious, unique mark that symbolised something special about the bond, nor an intricate engraving of your soulmate’s name on your skin.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It would simply be the first words your soulmate would say to you.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>On his 10th birthday, Makoto had had the first taste of heart-wrenching disappointment at the first mark of his soulmate appearing on his skin: two distinct words that had caused Makoto’s little world to come crashing down.</p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p>Makoto’s friend slid down behind him, not quite getting the message. “Did you try asking sensei?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“No.” Makoto sped up.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>His friend jogged along beside him. “Sensei will know how to read it. He helped me read mine- I couldn’t read the kanji for- 完璧*!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“That’s perfect.” Makoto couldn’t help the dig.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I know right!” The boy’s starry-eyed look showed that Makoto’s taunt was lost in sentiment. Makoto sighed and started gathering up his things: bag- check, water bottle- check, hat- check. “...Still, I can’t believe your soulmate is a foreigner!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Whose soulmate are you talking about?” Some other classmates of Makoto gathered around them at the first signs of juicy news, and Makoto found himself surrounded despite his best effort.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What are your words?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I..don’t know.” Makoto tried to slip away, but one of his classmates grabbed his hand before he could manage to escape.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hey! It’s not Japanese!” The boy declared, causing everyone else to gasp in surprise. It wasn’t everyday you got to see someone with a soulmate mark, and that too in a foreign language?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Wow!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What language is this?” One of them squinted at his wrist, trying to decipher the foreign script.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Is it French?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Maybe it’s Russian?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It looks like English!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“..you’re hurting me,” Makoto groaned.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Am I? <b>Sorry</b> .” <em> There it was again. </em> The grip on his hand loosened, but Makoto felt his throat choking up all the more. If there was one thing he hated more than being cornered, it was being <em> apologized </em>to.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“So cool!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It’s so romantic!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“MOOOM I’M HERE!” Makoto waved his free hand excitedly at the crowd of parents standing near the gate, causing the kid’s hold on his arm to loosen. Makoto used that chance to forcefully snatch his hand back from the child, and ducked under the rest of them, utilising his small frame and fast legs to escape the suffocating atmosphere. His mother wasn't here yet- he'll have to stay hidden until she got here.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Makoto tucked his hands to his stomach as he crouched beside the shrubbery under the nameplate near the entryway, hidden from the crowds, from his friends. They wouldn’t think it’s <em> romantic </em>if they knew that the first thing that Makoto’s soulmate will ever say to him, is:</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>“I’m sorry.”</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Translation:<br/>完璧(kanpeki-  Perfect)</p>
<p>I came up with this while I tried to flesh out the next chapter of <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27626788">Painter of the Knight.</a><br/>Welp. Not sure if I should continue writing this.┐(￣ヘ￣)┌<br/>Thoughts?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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